Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Boundary and Annexation Survey, 9475-9478 [2018-04514]

Agencies

• Census Bureau
• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9475-9478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04514]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Boundary and 
Annexation Survey

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before March 7, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]). You may also submit comments, identified by 
Docket Number USBC-2018-0002, to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: 
https://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the 
public record. No comments will be posted to https://www.regulations.gov 
for public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments 
will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct requests for additional 
information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and 
instructions to Robin A. Pennington, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver 
Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233 (or via the internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Overview

    The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) is one of many voluntary 
geographic partnership programs that collects boundaries to update the 
U.S. Census Bureau's geographic database of addresses, streets, and 
boundaries. The Census Bureau uses its geographic database to link 
demographic data from surveys and the decennial census to locations and 
areas, such as cities, school districts, and counties. In order to 
tabulate statistics by localities, the Census Bureau must have accurate 
addresses and boundaries.
    The boundaries collected during the BAS and other geographic 
programs become bounding features for census blocks, which are the 
building blocks for all Census Bureau geographic boundaries. While the 
Census Bureau's geographic programs differ in requirements, time frame, 
and participants, the BAS and other geographic programs all follow the 
same basic process:
    1. The Census Bureau invites eligible participants to the program. 
For the BAS, the Census Bureau invites legal governments.
    2. If they elect to participate in the program, participants 
receive a copy of the boundaries or addresses that the Census Bureau 
has on file. BAS participants can choose to review and update their 
boundaries using Geographic Update Partnership Software (GUPS)--which 
is a free customized mapping software--paper maps, or their own mapping 
software.
    3. Participants return their updates to the Census Bureau.
    4. The Census Bureau processes and verifies all submissions for 
accuracy, and updates its geographic database with boundary or address 
updates submitted by the participants.
    5. The Census Bureau uses the newly updated boundaries and 
addresses to tabulate statistics.

II. Abstract

    The Census Bureau conducts the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) 
to collect and maintain information about the inventory of legal 
boundaries and legal actions affecting the boundaries of:
     Counties and equivalent entities.
     Federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native 
federal reservations and off-reservation trust lands.
     Incorporated places.
     Minor civil divisions (MCDs).
     Tribal subdivisions.
    This information provides an accurate identification of geographic 
areas for the Census Bureau to use in conducting the decennial and 
economic censuses and ongoing surveys, preparing population estimates, 
and supporting other statistical programs of the Census Bureau and the 
legislative programs of the federal government.
    Through the BAS, the Census Bureau asks each government to review 
materials and verify the accuracy of the information the Census Bureau 
has on file or submit corrections. The Census Bureau also requests that 
if necessary, each government update the boundaries, supply information 
documenting each legal boundary change, and provide changes in the 
inventory of governments.
    The BAS allows the Census Bureau to collect accurate boundaries for 
legal areas, which improves the accuracy of the statistics the Census 
Bureau tabulates. The Census Bureau uses the BAS results to support a 
number of programs, including congressional and state legislative 
redistricting, the decennial census and related preparatory tests, the 
economic census, and the Special Census Program. The American Community 
Survey and Population Estimates Program use the legal boundaries 
updated through the BAS to disseminate survey results and estimates.
    Numerous federal programs rely on accurate boundaries from the BAS. 
The U.S. Geological Survey depicts the annual legal boundaries 
submitted to the BAS on the National Map online. The Department of 
Housing and Urban Development uses the legal boundaries updated through 
the BAS to determine jurisdictional eligibility for various grant 
programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant program. The 
Department of Agriculture uses legal boundaries updated through the BAS 
to determine eligibility for various rural housing and economic 
development programs.

Legal Information

    While the Census Bureau has a national implementation of the BAS, 
the Census Bureau reviews each state's laws for inclusion in the BAS 
materials sent to participants. In addition, if it comes to the Census 
Bureau's attention that an area of non-tribal land is in dispute 
between two or more jurisdictions, the Census Bureau will not make 
annexations or boundary corrections until all affected parties come to 
a written agreement, or there is a documented final court decision 
regarding the matter and/or dispute. If there is a dispute over an area 
of tribal land, the Census Bureau will not make additions or boundary 
corrections until

[[Page 9476]]

the participants provide supporting documents or the U.S. Department of 
the Interior issues a comment. If necessary, the Census Bureau will 
request clarification regarding current boundaries or supporting 
documentation from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the 
Solicitor.

BAS Universe

    The BAS includes approximately 40,000 entities. The BAS universe 
and mailing materials vary depending upon the needs of the Census 
Bureau in fulfilling its censuses and household surveys. Every survey 
year includes the following:
     Counties or equivalent entities.
     Incorporated places with a population of at least 2,500 
people.
     MCDs in the six New England states.
     Federally recognized American Indian reservations (AIRs), 
off-reservation trust lands (ORTLs), and tribal subdivisions.
     A single respondent for the Hawaiian home land (HHL) 
boundary and status information.
     A single respondent for the municipio, barrio, and 
subbarrio boundary and status information in Puerto Rico.
    As illustrated in the table below from 2016 to 2021, the BAS 
universe varies throughout the decade. The Census Bureau divides the 
reporting universe years into three categories:

                 BAS Universe Information for 2016-2021
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               BAS year                             Details
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018--2020...........................  Full BAS universe years.
2016, 2017, 2021.....................  Select BAS universe years.
2016--2020...........................  Redistricting Data Program (RDP)
                                        coordination years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full BAS Universe Years

    From 2018 to 2020, the BAS includes all governmentally active 
counties and equivalent entities, all incorporated places, all legally 
defined MCDs, HHLs, legal governments in Puerto Rico, and legally 
defined federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) 
areas (including the Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs)). Each 
governmental entity surveyed will receive materials covering its 
jurisdiction and one or more forms. These three years coincide with the 
Census Bureau's preparation for the decennial census.

Select BAS Universe Years

    In all other years, including 2021, the BAS reporting universe 
includes all governmental counties and equivalent entities, MCDs in the 
six New England states, those incorporated places that have a 
population of 2,500 or greater, and all legally defined federally 
recognized AIAN areas, including ANRCs. During these years, the Census 
Bureau may enter into agreements with individual states to modify the 
universe of MCDs and/or incorporated places to include additional 
entities that are known by that state to have had boundary changes, 
without regard to population size.

Redistricting Data Program Coordination Years

    In the years 2016 through 2020, state participants in the 
Redistricting Data Program (RDP) may request coordination between the 
BAS and RDP submissions for the Block Boundary Suggestion Project 
(BBSP) and Voting District Project (VTDP). The alignment of the BAS 
with the BBSP and VTDP facilitates increased cooperation between state 
and local governments and provides the opportunity to align their 
effort with updates from state and local government officials 
participating in the BAS.

III. Method of Collection

    The Census Bureau maintains several methods to collect information 
and updates for legal boundaries. The Census Bureau provides the 
participant with current geography derived from the Master Address 
File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing 
Database (MTDB) on CD/DVD, paper maps, or online services. The 
participant reviews the geography and provides the Census Bureau any 
changes or updates. The Census Bureau updates the MTDB based on the 
submitted changes and uses that data to tabulate statistics for other 
programs like the American Community Survey, the Population Estimates 
Program, and the economic and decennial censuses.
    The two methods for BAS participants to view and update the Census 
Bureau's record of legal boundaries are through digital map files 
(Digital BAS) or paper maps (Paper BAS).
    The following BAS collection methods allow the Census Bureau to 
coordinate among various levels of governments and obtain the most 
accurate boundary information:
     Annual Response.
     Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project 
(BQARP).
     Boundary Validation Program (BVP).
     Consolidation Agreements.
     Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
     State Certification.

Digital BAS

    In digital BAS, participants fill out the online BAS forms and 
choose one of the following options:
     Download free software and MTDB spatial data.
     Receive free software and MTDB spatial data on CD/DVD.
     Download MTDB spatial data and use their own Geographic 
Information Systems (GIS) software.

The free software provided by the Census Bureau, called GUPS, consists 
of specialized BAS tools intended for both novice and experienced GIS 
users. Digital BAS respondents use GUPS or their own GIS to review the 
boundaries the Census Bureau has on file and make boundary updates or 
corrections. Once the BAS participant is finished updating the 
boundaries, the participant submits the files electronically by using 
the Secure Web Incoming Module (SWIM) or burn the updates to a CD/DVD 
and return it to the Census Bureau.
    If the BAS participant elects to receive GUPS on CD/DVD, the 
package contains:
    1. Introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau.
    2. Appropriate BAS form(s) that contains entity-specific 
identification information.
    a. BAS-1: Incorporated places and consolidated cities.
    b. BAS-2: Counties, parishes, and boroughs.
    c. BAS-3: MCDs.
    d. BAS-5: AIAN areas.
    3. CD or DVD and software CD for GUPS.
    4. CD(s) or DVD(s) of Census Bureau spatial boundaries files.

Paper BAS

    For the traditional paper package, respondents complete the BAS 
form and reviews Census Bureau maps of their legal area. If needed, 
respondents draw boundary updates or corrections on the maps using 
pencils provided in the package. The package contains large format 
maps, printed forms, and supplies to complete the survey.
    The typical BAS package contains:
    1. Introductory letter from the Director of the Census Bureau.
    2. Appropriate BAS form(s) that contains entity-specific 
identification information.
    a. BAS-1: Incorporated places and consolidated cities.
    b. BAS-2: Counties, parishes, and boroughs.

[[Page 9477]]

    c. BAS-3: MCDs.
    d. BAS-5: AIAN areas.
    3. BAS Respondent Guide.
    4. Set of maps.
    5. Return postage-paid envelope to submit boundary changes.
    6. Supplies for updating paper maps.

Annual Response

    In Annual Response, the Census Bureau invites governments to 
participate in the BAS. The Annual Response is an announcement email 
letter and a one-page form for the state and county governments that do 
not have a consolidation agreement. Tribal, county, and local 
governments indicate whether they have boundary changes to report and 
provide a current contact person. The Census Bureau uses email and 
encourages governments to use the online form and download BAS 
materials online to reduce cost and respondent burden. All governments, 
without a consolidation agreement, receive the Annual Response email 
regardless of population size.
    The following table shows the details of the Annual Response, which 
occurs between January and May of each year.

                    Annual Response Schedule for BAS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
January...................................  The Census Bureau emails the
                                             Annual Response to BAS
                                             contacts in January of each
                                             year.
January-May...............................  Governments request BAS
                                             packages or download
                                             materials online.
March 1...................................  First deadline. Legal
                                             boundary updates sent by
                                             March 1 are included in the
                                             geography the Census Bureau
                                             uses for the American
                                             Community Survey and
                                             Population Estimates
                                             Program.
May 31....................................  Final deadline. Updates sent
                                             by May 31 are included in
                                             the following year's BAS
                                             materials.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the year 2020, all legal documentation for inclusion in the 2020 
Census must be effective as of January 1, 2020, or earlier. All legal 
boundary changes will be placed on hold and updated during the 2021 BAS 
if effective January 2, 2020, or later.

Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project

    To improve boundary quality in the Census Bureau's MTDB, the Census 
Bureau uses the Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project 
(BQARP) to support the BAS program. The goal of the BQARP is to assess, 
analyze, and improve the spatial quality of legal and administrative 
boundaries within the MTDB, which the BAS would then continue the 
collection of annexations and de-annexations on a transaction basis as 
they occur over time. The BQARP is a one-time project that eases the 
burden of BAS participants by addressing smaller boundary corrections. 
After a state has completed the BQARP, BAS participants will only need 
to submit boundary changes, such as annexations or de-annexations. 
Ensuring quality and spatially accurate boundaries is a critical 
component of the geographic preparations for the 2020 Census and the 
Census Bureau's ongoing geographic partnership programs and surveys. In 
addition, the improvement of boundary quality is an essential element 
of the Census Bureau's commitment as the responsible agency for legal 
boundaries under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-
16.

Boundary Validation Program

    The Census Bureau will conduct the 2020 Boundary Validation Program 
(BVP) in conjunction with the 2020 BAS. The Census Bureau conducts the 
BVP every ten years to provide the highest elected or appointed 
officials (HEOs) of tribal and local governments an opportunity to 
review the boundary data collected during the BAS over the last decade. 
The 2020 BVP will cover:
     All actively functioning counties or statistically 
equivalent entities.
     Incorporated places (including consolidated cities).
     MCDs.
     All federally recognized AIRs and off-reservation trust 
land entities in the United States.
     Municipios, barrios, barrio-pueblos and subbarrios in 
Puerto Rico.
    In addition, the Census Bureau will send a letter to the governor 
of each state explaining the 2020 BVP process and noting that the 
Census Bureau will review the state boundaries in conjunction with 
relevant county boundaries as part of the BVP.
    The Census Bureau will conduct the 2020 BVP in two phases: Initial 
and final. During the initial BVP phase, every HEO in the BAS universe 
will receive a BVP form, a letter with instructions, and a CD/DVD 
containing a complete set of 2020 BAS maps in PDF format for their 
governmental unit. The Census Bureau asks the HEO to review the 2020 
BAS maps contained on the CD/DVD and return the BVP form within ten 
days of receipt. If the HEO determines that there are no changes to 
report, the HEO will sign and return the validated BVP form. If the HEO 
determines that their entity requires boundary changes, the Census 
Bureau will instruct the HEO to return the unsigned BVP form and work 
with their local BAS contact to submit boundary changes through the 
2020 BAS process. If either the HEO or the BAS contact submits 2020 BAS 
boundary updates, effective as of January 1, 2020, by the deadline of 
March 1, 2020, the entity will be included in the final phase of the 
BVP.
    In the final BVP phase, once the Census Bureau applies the 
participant's 2020 BAS boundary updates to the MTDB, the Census Bureau 
will provide each HEO a complete set of updated paper maps. This is 
participants' final opportunity to review the boundary and verify that 
the Census Bureau clearly reflects the 2020 BAS changes in the MTDB. In 
the final BVP phase, each HEO submits any remaining corrections within 
five days directly to the Census Bureau using the instructions provided 
in the BAS respondent guide.

Consolidation Agreements

    Consolidation agreements allow state and county government 
officials the opportunity to reduce the response burden for their local 
governments in states where there are no legislative requirements for 
local governments to report their legal updates to the state or county. 
Under a consolidation agreement, a state or county is allowed to 
respond on behalf of the local governments documented in the agreement. 
The Census Bureau sends the BAS materials to the state or county, as 
appropriate, and sends a reminder notification to the local government 
to report their updates to their BAS consolidator.

Memorandum of Understanding

    In states with legislation requiring local governments to report 
all legal boundary updates to a state agency, state officials may enter 
into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Census Bureau. States 
have the option to report the list of governments with known legal 
boundary changes to the Census Bureau. The BAS will include only those 
governments listed or the state may report the legal boundary changes 
directly to the Census Bureau on behalf of the governments.

[[Page 9478]]

The Census Bureau will not survey the local governments if the state 
reports for them. The Census Bureau will send a reminder email 
notification to the governments requesting them to report to the state 
contact, per the terms and agreements agreed upon in the MOU.

State Certification

    Through the BAS State Certification program, the Census Bureau 
invites the governor-appointed State Certifying Official (SCO) from 
each state to review the boundary and governmental unit information 
collected during the previous BAS cycle. The purpose of the State 
Certification program is to verify the accuracy, validity, and 
completeness of the BAS information with state governments. Every year, 
excluding 2020, the Census Bureau mails materials containing the 
listings of the information collected from the previous BAS year to the 
SCO for review. These listings include the attribute information for 
disincorporations and legal boundary changes as well as the names and 
functional statuses of incorporated places and minor civil divisions 
(MCDs). The SCO may request that the Census Bureau edit the attribute 
data, add missing records, or remove invalid records if their state 
government maintains an official record of all effective changes to 
legal boundaries and governmental units as mandated by state law. State 
certification packages contain a letter to the governor, a state 
certifying official letter, a discrepancy letter, and a state 
certification respondent guide.

IV. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0151.
    Form Number: BAS-1, BAS-2, BAS-3, BAS-5, BAS-6, BAS-ARF BASSC-1, 
BASSC-2, BASSC-3, BASSC-4, BVP-1, BVP-L1, BVP-L1-AIA, BVP-L1-PR, BVP-2, 
BVP-L3, BVP-2, BVP-L4, and BVP-L4-AIA.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: All active, functioning counties or statistically 
equivalent entities; incorporated places (including consolidated 
cities); MCDs; all federally recognized AIRs and ORTLs entities in the 
United States; municipios, barrios, barrio-pueblos, and subbarrios in 
Puerto Rico; and HHLs.
    Estimated Number of Respondents:
    Annual Response Notification: 39,400 governments.
    No Change Response: 25,000 governments.
    Telephone Follow-up: 14,000 governments.
    Packages with Changes: 5,000 governments.
    State Certification Review: 49 states.
    State Certification Local Review: 1,000 governments.
    Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project: 16 states.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 50 states.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 2,000 
governments.
    Boundary Validation Program: 48,000 governments.
    Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 134,555 governments.
    Estimated Time per Response:
    Annual Response Notification: 30 minutes.
    No Change Response: 4 hours.
    Telephone Follow-up: 30 minutes.
    Packages with Changes: 8 hours.
    State Certification Review: 10 hours.
    State Certification Local Review: 2 hours.
    Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project: 25 hours.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 20 hours.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 2 hours.
    Boundary Validation Program: 2 hours.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours per Year:
    Annual Response Notification: 19,700.
    No Change Response: 100,000.
    Telephone Follow-up: 7,000.
    Packages with Changes: 40,000.
    State Certification Review: 490.
    State Certification Local Review: 2,000.
    Boundary Quality Assessment and Reconciliation Project: 400.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation State Review: 1,000.
    Redistricting Data Program Reconciliation Local Review: 4,000.
    Boundary Validation Program: 96,000.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 270,710.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0. (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 6.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Summarization of comments submitted in response to this notice will 
be included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection. Comments will also become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-04514 Filed 3-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P